Latest news with #admissions
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Blockbusters boost cinema chain Everyman as revenues surge by more than a fifth
Revenues at Everyman surged by more than a fifth after a jump in admissions and higher ticket prices. The cinema chain's boss Alex Scrimgeour hailed the performance over the first half of 2025 as it was boosted by new releases including Thunderbolts, A Minecraft Movie and Mission Impossible – Final Reckoning. Revenues in the six months to July 3 were 21 per cent higher than the same period last year at £56.5million. This was supported by a 15 per cent jump in admissions to 2.2m. The chain said the average price paid for a ticket rose 6 per cent to £12.46, while there was also a 5.9 per cent increase on the amount spent by customers on food and drinks. Everyman is Britain's fourth largest cinema operator and runs 48 cinemas across the country.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Politics
- Forbes
Columbia, Dartmouth, And The Politics Shaping College Admissions
Low Memorial Library and Quad, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA. (Photo by: ... More Photographer name/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) The 2025-2026 Common Application will launch on August 1, 2025, marking the official start of an increasingly politicized admissions cycle. This year, families are weighing more than rankings and acceptance rates. With elite universities facing federal investigations, many parents, administrators, students, and applicants are asking: How will the political climate affect application decisions, and what kind of campus experience can students expect upon arrival? Title VI Investigations Intensify Political Pressures on Campus In May 2024, the Biden administration reported that it had opened investigations into 100 higher education institutions for violations of the 1964 Title VI Act, alleging instances of antisemitism on college campuses. Now, over a year later, the Trump administration has deployed Title VI against sixty different higher education institutions, this time for infractions relating to the abolition of DEI initiatives countrywide, as well as for select cases of antisemitism. But whereas the Biden administration leveraged a cooperative approach with universities, supporting internal assessment and adjustment, the Trump administration has taken a more forceful approach. According to Forbes contributor Michael T. Nietzel, some elite institutions have experienced what he describes as 'painful' consequences following coercive 'federal shakedowns.' As a result of these conflicts, prospective students, domestic and international, face new and unexpected hurdles as they consider schools that were, just a short time ago, no-brainers for most applicants. Columbia's Settlement: A Price for Compliance On July 23, 2025, Columbia University agreed to pay $200 million to the federal government and begin submitting compliance reports to an externally appointed administrator. While the Columbia declined to admit any wrongdoing, the university pledged to 'reform' its approach to antisemitism through enhanced safety measures on campus. The university framed the settlement as part of a wider effort to reinstate hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen federal funding and restore its ability to apply for regular federal funding opportunities, but current students, alumni, and prospective applicants may view Columbia's decision differently. Zooming out, this settlement may be just the beginning. Harvard, too, remains under investigation for 'allowing anti-Semitic harassment and discrimination to persist unchecked,' and the Department of Education has threatened to review its accreditation. Unlike Columbia's conciliatory approach, Harvard has responded to these new threats, along with $2 billion worth of federal funding cuts, by suing the administration. While some prominent voices have praised Harvard's response, prospective students may be concerned about the potential ramifications of this ongoing dispute. For Families, Culture Is Now a Key Filter As families plan college visits and students weigh whether or not to apply to their top-choice school in the binding Early Decision round, questions about the broader culture and ethical commitments of each institution are taking on a new urgency. In the past, this type of scrutiny often focused on state politics. For instance, some prospective students have reportedly avoided universities in Florida or Texas due to legislation impacting classroom content and restrictive abortion laws. Now, though, cultural and political concerns have shifted from the local environment to individual institutions themselves, even those in traditionally progressive states. For example, both the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley are facing heightened scrutiny for their responses to campus protests and federal investigations. Meanwhile, institutions in red states, like the University of Kentucky and Tulane University, have also drawn attention from the Trump administration, specifically for their affiliation with the 'Ph.D. Project,' a nonprofit organization that supports students from underrepresented backgrounds. It's still too early in the admissions cycle to know whether these dynamics will significantly shift application numbers. But one thing is clear: families are increasingly weighing brand alignment alongside more traditional concerns like rankings, costs, and location. Ivy League schools, in particular, are being compared based on cultural and political identity. Just as consumers might think twice about supporting a company based on its social stances—whether that's buying a Patagonia vest or eating at Chick-fil-A—students and parents are using college selection to express values and identity. What These Federal Crackdowns Mean for Campus Life When assessing colleges, students and families should consider how increased administrative oversight may directly shape campus life. The impact will vary widely depending on a student's identity, field of study, and the kind of college experience they're seeking. STEM-focused undergraduate students, and graduate students in all fields, are most likely to feel the effects of the Trump administration's funding cuts because they will directly impact research and teaching assistant opportunities. For example, the $2 billion removed from Harvard University's budget threatens a number of high-profile medical and scientific studies. And in March 2025, the University of Pennsylvania lost a significant source of funding when Trump issued an executive order that affected the National Institute of Health's revenue and found itself in the awkward position of having to rescind graduate student offers. Indeed, it's telling that Columbia's Office of the President cited federal grant eligibility as a key reason for agreeing to the administration's demands. Students who claim a minority identity and/or are not U.S. citizens will need to research individual school policies as well as any current pending legal action on the part of the administration. Harvard's quarrel with Trump is the extreme example: in March, the administration revoked the university's ability to grant travel visas, though Harvard's deal with the University of Toronto may circumvent this issue for now. Students seeking identity-based communities on campus will need to stay informed about current school policies that may affect these organizations and affinity groups. Currently, universities are unclear about whether they will be able to provide financial support to clubs that specify a membership identity, such as those affiliated with the University of Michigan's Office for Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs. At elite institutions, students may feel increased scrutiny, not only from the press but also from within their universities. If other schools follow Columbia's lead in appointing an external monitor, it could signal broader shifts in how disciplinary matters and protests are handled—something to consider for socially minded prospective students. Increased oversight may also change how student data is handled: many of the universities under investigation, including Columbia, the University of Virginia, and George Mason University, have been asked to hand over international student and disciplinary records. Prospective students with infractions on their record or who are not U.S. citizens may need to consider how this increased oversight could affect them directly. The silver lining to this instability could be a diversification in where top students choose to apply and ultimately study. Families looking for a top-tier education without the harsh glare of the national spotlight are considering the 'New Ivies,' small liberal arts colleges, or Canadian options like the University of Toronto or the University of British Columbia, which have seen a notable rise in U.S. applicants. Dartmouth: A Contrast with Columbia Dartmouth College Admissions Office in Hanover, New Hampshire. (Photo by) While many colleges and universities nationwide are feeling the effects of mounting federal oversight, Columbia and Dartmouth offer two of the most visible and contrasting case studies to make headlines this month. Under President Sian Beilock, Dartmouth College has adopted a policy of 'institutional restraint,' emphasizing that administrators should speak on behalf of the college only sparingly. The approach draws on the University of Chicago's 1967 Kalven Report, which argued that universities should refrain from taking public stances on political issues to protect academic freedom and viewpoint diversity. Dartmouth, dubbed the 'Ivy League's Switzerland,' has declined to join peer institutions in signing public letters condemning recent federal actions related to higher education. This includes a widely circulated April 2025 statement opposing what academic leaders described as 'unprecedented government overreach.' Beilock and her administration have framed Dartmouth's decision not as a political endorsement but as an effort to preserve dialogue across perspectives. While praised by some as a strategic move to avoid federal sanctions and preserve campus continuity, Dartmouth's choice has also drawn critique. 'Dartmouth's stance of 'institutional restraint' is a double-edged sword for prospective students and their families,' says Maria Laskaris, Senior Private Counselor at Top Tier Admissions and former Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth College. 'Some may appreciate the focus on academic freedom and diverse viewpoints, but others will see the new policy as a lack of engagement on critical societal issues. Either way, the policy likely influences their perception of the College's values and alignment with their own.' For many prospective students, Dartmouth's approach to this political moment will shape not only whether they apply, but how they imagine their place within its community. The Bottom Line for Applicants For students and families navigating a high-stakes, emotionally charged admissions process, these developments represent yet another curveball. What does a school's public stance, or strategic silence, say about the campus experience it offers? Whose voices are protected—or policed—once students arrive? This application cycle, students are being asked to weigh not just where they'll thrive academically, but what kind of institutional culture they're stepping into and how that decision will reflect on them.
Bloomberg
18-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
University of Chicago Faces DOJ Query on International Students
By and Myles Miller Save The University of Chicago has received information requests from the US Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security concerning admissions practices and international students. The university made the disclosure to investors in bond documents dated July 11. The school just sold $150 million of taxable bonds.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Number of offers made to prospective students by universities at record high
The number of offers made to prospective undergraduate students from universities and colleges has reached a record high, Ucas figures show. More than nine in 10 (94.5%) of all students who applied before the January deadline are going into the results period having received at least one offer, according to the university admissions service. As of June 30, the final deadline to apply to up to five courses simultaneously, more than two million main scheme offers had been made by universities and colleges – a rise of 3.8% compared with last year. Increases in offers from universities and colleges can be seen across all major applicant groups, but the largest increases can be seen for international applicants outside of the EU which are up 10.7%. It comes as university leaders have been warning of financial concerns due to a drop in the number of overseas students – who can be charged higher tuition fees – following restrictions introduced by the former Tory government. Universities are in a 'scramble for students' in a bid to avoid redundancies and course closures due to growing financial pressures, a higher education expert has suggested. The latest Ucas figures, released on Thursday, show that the number of UK 18-year-old applicants to courses by June 30 has reached a record high of 328,390, up 2.2% compared with the same point last year. But the data, which has been published ahead of A-level results day next month, shows that the application rate – the proportion of the 18-year-old population in the UK who applied – has fallen to 41.2% from 41.9% last year. Overall, the total number of applicants – of all ages and all domiciles – has risen to 665,070 this year, a 1.3% increase compared with 2024. There have been 138,460 international undergraduate applicants through Ucas, an increase of 2.2% compared with the same point last year. The data shows a new record number of applicants from China, up by 10% to 33,870 applicants this year, as well as year-on-year increases in applicants from Nigeria (plus 23%) and the USA ( plus 14%). Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, told the PA news agency: 'Universities nearly always prefer to fill their places than to have to close courses or make staff redundant, so I am not surprised that they are in such a scramble for students. 'Moreover, universities currently lose money on average on each home student but, if you can enrol a few more students on lots of your courses, then fewer of your courses will make a financial loss. 'There is also a fear among some universities of applicants moving up the 'prestige chain' by securing a place at the most selective university they can, meaning some universities think they need to make more offers than they otherwise might.' He added: 'It is very worrying that the participation rate among 18-year-olds is down because it means the post-Covid picture of falling demand among school leavers is persisting. 'We need to ask if falling demand for higher education is now a trend rather than a blip. 'It seems the cost of living among students is biting and that some school leavers are waiting to see if other options come good.' Jo Saxton, chief executive at Ucas, said: 'The record number of UK 18-year-old applicants, and record number of offers being made to prospective undergraduate students, reflects real confidence in the higher education sector. 'It's great to see young people eager to take the next step in their educational and career journey, and universities and colleges committed to welcoming them. 'In the run-up to results day, I'd like to remind students and their families to remember that while the vast majority of applicants secure their first choice each year, it's always worth having a plan B. 'My advice is to begin by revisiting all of your original five choices on your Ucas application as your starting point.' A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'The proportion of 18-year-olds going to university is relatively stable, after a long period of growth, and in terms of absolute numbers of applications, it is a record year. 'These applicants will form the future workforce, and our country desperately needs the skills that universities will equip them with. 'Government data shows that some of the UK's highest potential employment sectors are hungry for people with graduate level skills.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Number of offers made to prospective students by universities at record high
The number of offers made to prospective undergraduate students from universities and colleges has reached a record high, Ucas figures show. More than nine in 10 (94.5%) of all students who applied before the January deadline are going into the results period having received at least one offer, according to the university admissions service. As of June 30, the final deadline to apply to up to five courses simultaneously, more than two million main scheme offers had been made by universities and colleges – a rise of 3.8% compared with last year. Increases in offers from universities and colleges can be seen across all major applicant groups, but the largest increases can be seen for international applicants outside of the EU which are up 10.7%. It comes as university leaders have been warning of financial concerns due to a drop in the number of overseas students – who can be charged higher tuition fees – following restrictions introduced by the former Tory government. Universities are in a 'scramble for students' in a bid to avoid redundancies and course closures due to growing financial pressures, a higher education expert has suggested. The latest Ucas figures, released on Thursday, show that the number of UK 18-year-old applicants to courses by June 30 has reached a record high of 328,390, up 2.2% compared with the same point last year. But the data, which has been published ahead of A-level results day next month, shows that the application rate – the proportion of the 18-year-old population in the UK who applied – has fallen to 41.2% from 41.9% last year. Overall, the total number of applicants – of all ages and all domiciles – has risen to 665,070 this year, a 1.3% increase compared with 2024. There have been 138,460 international undergraduate applicants through Ucas, an increase of 2.2% compared with the same point last year. The data shows a new record number of applicants from China, up by 10% to 33,870 applicants this year, as well as year-on-year increases in applicants from Nigeria (plus 23%) and the USA ( plus 14%). Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, told the PA news agency: 'Universities nearly always prefer to fill their places than to have to close courses or make staff redundant, so I am not surprised that they are in such a scramble for students. 'Moreover, universities currently lose money on average on each home student but, if you can enrol a few more students on lots of your courses, then fewer of your courses will make a financial loss. 'There is also a fear among some universities of applicants moving up the 'prestige chain' by securing a place at the most selective university they can, meaning some universities think they need to make more offers than they otherwise might.' He added: 'It is very worrying that the participation rate among 18-year-olds is down because it means the post-Covid picture of falling demand among school leavers is persisting. 'We need to ask if falling demand for higher education is now a trend rather than a blip. 'It seems the cost of living among students is biting and that some school leavers are waiting to see if other options come good.' Jo Saxton, chief executive at Ucas, said: 'The record number of UK 18-year-old applicants, and record number of offers being made to prospective undergraduate students, reflects real confidence in the higher education sector. 'It's great to see young people eager to take the next step in their educational and career journey, and universities and colleges committed to welcoming them. 'In the run-up to results day, I'd like to remind students and their families to remember that while the vast majority of applicants secure their first choice each year, it's always worth having a plan B. 'My advice is to begin by revisiting all of your original five choices on your Ucas application as your starting point.' A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'The proportion of 18-year-olds going to university is relatively stable, after a long period of growth, and in terms of absolute numbers of applications, it is a record year. 'These applicants will form the future workforce, and our country desperately needs the skills that universities will equip them with. 'Government data shows that some of the UK's highest potential employment sectors are hungry for people with graduate level skills.'
